The UNP said that UPFA advertisements placed in certain media yesterday was a clear violation of the deadline set for the Uva Provincial Council Election.

UNP General Secretary of the Tissa Attanayake told a news conference in Colombo that the government was masquerading as a sinless new born baby, but was flouting every possible law in the country.

"Take for example the UPFA election advertisements placed in certain media yesterday. Its a clear violation of the law, since its well past the deadline for disseminating election propaganda. We will be lodging a complaint with the Elections Commissioner."

He said that posters put up by UPFA candidates on public walls continued to remain, while propaganda material of other parties were removed promptly, by the authorities.

It was impossible to expect UPFA candidates to obey the law, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself was disregarding the rules and regulations, Attanayake said. "According to our Constitution the President is above party politics and cannot address election rallies. But he continued to speak at UPFA meetings in clear violation of the law."

He said that the government, was scared of holding elections under the aegis of independent Police, Elections and Public Service Commissions and was therefore resorting to staggered polls. "This way it can pool its resources to effectively rig the polls and win, hook or by crook."

Challenging the government to hold free and fair parliamentary elections, Attanayake predicted that the UNP would emerge victorious.